Series of events to mark 40 years of Beragh church

TYRONE GAA captain, Peter Harte, will be the main speaker at a special ceremony tonight (Thursday) in the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Beragh.

The Ulster and All-Ireland winner with the Red Hands will share his own deep faith experiences which have profoundly touched his own life journey.

A second speaker tonight will share their experiences of overcoming addiction with the help and inspiration of the Cenacalo community at Knock.

It will be the third and concluding night of the Tridium of Reflection and Celebration and is the first in what’s expected to be a number of events marking the 40th anniversary of the opening of the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Beragh on July 29, 1984.

In addition to Peter Harte, the past two nights have seen several hundred people attend the special ceremonies.

On Tuesday night, the Tridium opened with a talk by Matthew McFadden. He shared his experience of working with young people and the hope and inspiration which have enriched his life. He has taken many young people to Lourdes over the years and said he had been enriched by their faith in action.

EUROVISION WINNER

Last night (Wednesday), Ireland’s first ever Eurovision winner Dana (Rosemary Scallon) was in the parish for the second night of the Tridium. She lives as a committed Catholic and won the prestigious event for Ireland in 1970.

The Tridium, entitled ‘Living in Faith’, has been organised by the Beragh Parish Pastoral Council.

Other events are expected to take place this summer to celebrate the official opening of the church 40 years ago.

In July 1984, the late Cardinal Tomas O’Fiaich presided at the opening of the church which was a major occasion in the life of the parish. A capacity congregation of almost 1000 people attended the opening.

The new church was a replacement for the original chapel which was built in 1800.

In 2027, the Beragh Parish will celebrate its 250th anniversary, having been formed in 1777. The parish was known as Ballintacken until 1817 when it was renamed as Beragh.